sb. [a. F. caramel, ad. Sp. (It., Pg.) caramelo, of uncertain origin.
Scheler suggests that the Sp. represents L. calamellus little tube, in reference to its tubular form; Mahn thinks it from med.L. cannamella sugar-cane: an Arabic source is conjectured by Littré.]
A black or brown porous substance obtained by heating sugar to about 210° C., by which it loses two equivalents of water; burnt sugar. It is used for coloring spirits, etc. b. A kind of ‘candy’ or sweet. c. attrib. as caramel-walnuts.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Sugar, When it is boiled to Caramel, it breaks and cracks.
c. 1865. J. Wylde, in Circ. Sc., I. 413/1. High-dried malt … contains a substance termed caramel.
1884. Times (Philad.), No. 3236, 24 July, 3/2. An article so generally a favorite with all classes as caramels. They are made of cream, sugar, vanilla, pistache, [etc.].
Hence Caramel v., Caramelize v. [cf. F. caraméliser], trans. and intr., to turn into caramel.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Apple, Let it boil so long till the Sugar be red enough and caramel’d.
1842. Penny Cycl., XXIII. 230/1. By caramelizing the syrup.
1883. Knowledge, 20 July, 36/1. Partial carbonisation, or ‘caramelising.’
